App launches for health-conscious foodies

Diane King

Brits who enjoy eating out but can’t always find a veggie / vegan or healthy dining option nearby will now be able to locate a restaurant that caters for their preferences.

Award-winning restaurant app vanillabean has launched in the UK, with the aim of promoting plant-based food.

The free-to-use app specialises in the needs of eco- and health-conscious users as well as those with food intolerances.

Citing the fact that more than half a million Britons follow a vegan diet, with half of these aged between 15 and 34, the restaurant guide covers more than 1,800 restaurants in England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, featuring the widest selection of vegan restaurants throughout the British Isles.

Gluten-free, organic and raw food indicators also make eating out easier for those following special diets or suffering intolerances. Filters can be set to search for restaurants that have gluten-free options and use organic ingredients, while every restaurant listed has at least one lactose-free offering.

The app is designed to appeal to vegans, vegetarians and meat reducers, but has wider aims.

Co-founder Fabian Kreipl said: “Many of our biggest global issues can be prevented when eating plant-based more often. Sounds crazy? It is not.

“We have a huge water crisis and a rate of animal extinction that is only comparable to the big mass extinctions in the history of the planet. Much of this has to do with our ways of consumption.

“The good news is that eating plant-based food more often helps the environment. This helps you to not only stay in shape, but also save CO2, water and landmass that would otherwise be used for livestock; not to mention all the animals that are spared by that.“

The app is already the biggest vegan and eco-friendly restaurant guide in German-speaking countries and counts among its users Bayern Munich footballer Robert Lewandowski and his wife Anna, an athlete and nutrition specialist, who both follow a gluten-free and lactose-free diet.

The vanilla bean app is available as a free download on the UK App Store and on Google Play from today with the restaurant guide also available at www.vanilla-bean.com.

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